The present invention relates to an inflatable vehicle safety apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. A known inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, when inflated, has a perimeter at least partially defined by upper and lower edges and has first and second portions spaced apart along the upper and lower edges.
The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises overlying panels that define an inflatable volume, and first and second connections that interconnect the overlying panels within the perimeter. The first connection has a first midpoint and first and second portions that extend from the first midpoint toward a first end portion of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The first and second portions form an angle between the first and second portions. The second connection has a second midpoint and third and fourth portions that extend from the second midpoint toward a second end portion of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device opposite the first end portion. The third and fourth portions form an angle between the third and fourth portions.